BISMARCK, ND – The Republican governor of North Dakota on Thursday criticized an anti-LGBTQ resolution that was passed by hundreds of delegates from his party, calling it insulting and divisive.
The resolution, one of dozens of party policy statements approved by mail this spring, says that many “LGBT practices are unhealthy and dangerous, sometimes life-threatening or shortening, and sometimes infecting society at large” .
Governor Doug Burgum released a statement Thursday denouncing the resolution.
“As I have said for a long time, all North Dakotans deserve to be treated equally and live free from discrimination,” Burgum said. “There is no place for hurtful and divisive rhetoric in NDGOP resolutions.”
State Republican Party Executive Director Corby Kemmer issued a statement on Wednesday apologizing for the language in that resolution, which was first reported by the Fargo-Moorhead Forum on Wednesday.
“The resolutions were presented for a positive or negative vote, and no resolution was voted on individually,” Kemmer said.
“The intention of the delegates was to defend individual and religious liberties, and, unfortunately, this language does not achieve that goal. We regret any offense this may have caused, and we will be reconsidering this resolution at a future meeting so that it is more in line with what delegates were trying to communicate, ”he said.
Kemmer told The Associated Press that the package of resolutions was passed 621-139 in the April mail-in vote, which was organized after the party’s planned convention was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was not clear when the resolution could be reconsidered. Former United States Representative Rick Berg, chairman of the state Republican Party, did not immediately respond to Thursday’s phone messages seeking comment.
State Representative Josh Boschee, a Fargo Democrat who is the minority leader of the North Dakota House and the only openly gay member of the Legislature, said the Republican Party resolution contains “blatant lies.”
“This is nothing to help the image of North Dakota,” said Boschee. “This is just a blow to see that they would approve language like this.”
North Dakota Republicans exercise majority control in the Legislature and occupy all state offices. The Legislature has defeated measures several times in recent years that would have prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, government, public services, and the workplace.
Although North Dakota has fought against protections for gay, lesbian, and transgender people, the United States Supreme Court ruled last month that a landmark civil rights law of 1964 protects them from employment discrimination, in a resounding victory for LGBT rights of a conservative court.
Burgum has long criticized the Republican Party-led Legislature’s stance on social issues, including the frankness of its breach of the anti-discrimination law. Burgum supported the legislation last year.
Former Republican Governor Jack Dalrymple chastised lawmakers when they killed a similar bill in 2017, telling them in a statement that they had lost the opportunity to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination.
Republicans held their state committee meeting in Medora on Friday and Saturday despite the threat of the coronavirus, and on Wednesday, the state Department of Health sent a letter to those who attended, telling them that someone who was there had tested positive for COVID. -19 and warning them to take precautions
Burgum and several other North Dakota lawmakers were among the estimated 80 attendees. Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said the governor tested negative for the virus on Wednesday after being notified by health officials.
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